Initial trade pact with US to 'conclude positively' by autumn: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India hopes to 'conclude positively' the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US by fall this year, signaling progress in talks aimed at lowering tariffs and expanding market access.

- FE BUREAU

FINANCE MINISTER NIRMALA Sitharaman on Monday said India hopes to 'conclude positively' the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US by fall this year, signaling progress in talks aimed at lowering tariffs and expanding market access.

Sitharaman, who began her six-day US visit in San Francisco, is scheduled to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and attend the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings as well as G20 finance ministers' meetings.

Since coming to power in January, US President Donald Trump has aggressively used tariffs to balance US trade with the world by seeking greater access to American goods in world markets. He has already announced reciprocal tariffs on all economies, including India, but later paused them for three months.